Home Is Where The Heart Is
by lovelikeher
Summary: As she listened to the voice mail for the umpteenth time, there was one thing she was certain of. She was going to New Orleans. Set after 4x20.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! If any of you read Landslide, I haven't given up on that – the last episode kind of gave me no inspiration to write a baby fic, even if it is human KC. But, it did give me inspiration for this! It's set after 4x20 and I hope you like it.**

**I don't have a beta or a graphic for this, but if you'd like to provide me either of those, I'd be very grateful! Anyway, all mistakes are my own and I hope you can overlook them.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.**

* * *

She threw her cell phone down on her bed, fighting the urge to replay the voice mail just one more time.

But she simply couldn't fight the content smile that spread across her lips as his words echoed over and over in her mind, full of promise and admiration. How she'd managed to be the object of a thousand year old hybrid, she would never know, but she'd grown used to his fondness of her. Actually, sometimes she caught herself liking the attention she got from him. Not in the way that whiny, insecure, human Caroline liked attention – oh no, but she did like the way he made her feel. Even though he made her feel awful at times –mainly when he tried to kill her or her friends- it never changed the fact that his adoring stares and cherishing smiles made her week at the knees. She knew that the occasional laugh that so painfully human, was spared for her and only her.

So, maybe she did like that. Maybe she did like _him_.

Over time, her hatred for him had turned into something that she couldn't quite explain, not even to herself. The dangerous attraction, the tempting promises of the world. Slowly, she'd started to fall for him. She didn't know when, she most definitely did not know _how_, but there was no use in her denying it anymore. She was more than aware about how he felt for her, and even though he made it practically impossible for her to reincorporate those feelings, she didn't hate him as she was expected to.

She wanted him. It was as simple as that.

Throwing herself back on her bed, she let out a sigh as her head it the fluffy pillow.

Stefan had mentioned something about Klaus leaving, to New Orleans or somewhere, though Caroline had been taking that with a pinch of salt considering their main source was her murderer. Katherine Pierce wasn't someone that she considered trustworthy or reliable. Not in the slightest.

But, it hadn't taken long for her to put the pieces together as she listened to the voicemail for the – well, she'd actually lost count of how many times she'd listened to it.

He was in New Orleans. Klaus was in New Orleans, and all he was thinking about was her.

Her eyes clenched shut as she tried to push away the gut-wrenching feeling of loss. They weren't together, they were barely even friends. He could do whatever he wanted –go wherever he wanted- he didn't owe her anything. So why did she feel so hurt at the idea of him leaving without saying goodbye to her first?

She was being ridiculous, she thought. She couldn't expect him to wait around for her, even if he kept promising it time and time again. Of course he was going to leave one day, realizing that she wasn't as great as he seemed to think she was and simply leave her behind in her small town without a second though.

Only, the idea of waking up one day to find out that he'd disappeared for good terrified her. And she hated it. She hated how much she had grown to need him, how much she'd gotten used to having him around. Any opportunity to be around him, even as a distraction or a ruse, she always took it. She took it with an exaggerated scoff and dramatic eye roll, but of course she secretly liked it.

Finally –finally- she was someone's first choice. As far as she was concerned, the fact that it was the evil hybrid that everyone expected her to hate was just plain cruel irony.

Even after everything that he had done, it didn't change the fact that part of her was constantly wondering. Just...wondering. Every now and again, she'd catch herself smiling at the idea of him showing her the world and blushing at the thought of waking up next to him.

So, knowing that he was in New Orleans and _not_ knowing whether he was coming back bothered her more than she would care to admit.

What if he didn't come back? What if she never saw him again? She knew that she shouldn't be upset about the fact that he was leaving, but she was. She'd gotten far too used to him being around to be able to deal with him just randomly leaving her.

..Leaving town. She meant leaving town.

She pushed herself back up on the bed into a sitting position and look around her bedroom. What did she even have left here?

There was her mom and there was school, but she knew her mom could cope without her and school was pretty much over. All she had to do was graduate and that chapter of her life was officially over with. She couldn't stay in Mystic Falls forever, not when everybody around her would be growing up and she would be stuck looking seventeen years old for the rest of eternity.

But, did she even really _want_ to stay there? It was her childhood, her humanity, her home – but there were too many bad memories. A part of her just wanted to leave it all behind and move on with her immortal life. Maybe, just maybe, the sooner she started to adjust to the life of a never-aging vampire, the better. She could spend the next few years clinging desperately to her humanity, go on living an average human college life whilst denying what was right in front of her. She was a vampire, there was entire world out there waiting for her and normal wasn't good enough for her anymore. Not since he came along and opened her eyes to pretty much everything.

She could stick around and go to college with Elena and Bonnie, constantly getting wrapped up in supernatural drama.

Or she could go to New Orleans with Klaus and constantly get wrapped up in supernatural drama.

The choice was far too easy.

* * *

A week later, she was graduating. The blood red gown fell past her feet to the ground, the matching cap long lost to the many that had carelessly been thrown to the sky by the graduating class.

The sun had been shining brightly, on a very rare day of happiness in Mystic Falls. Surprisingly to all of them, the day had gone completely with a single glitch.

Caroline hadn't informed any of them of her plans to leave, not wanting to disrupt the new found peace. Not only that, but between Elena's torture session and several ghosts returning? She hadn't exactly had time.

But now, it was quiet. There was no supernatural crap and all that she'd had to worry about was e making it from one side of the stage to the other – which, of course, she had perfected easily.

Part of her was just waiting for something to go horribly wrong, whether it was something as trivial as rain or something she was far more accustomed to. Death being the first thing that came to mind. Which was almost, _almost_, laughable.

The ceremony and after party had gone far better than she'd been expecting. Unfortunately, her mom had been called into work just after the ceremony was over, but she'd grown used to her mom having to run off on demand over the years.

It didn't matter though, because her graduation day had gone pretty much perfectly.

As she climbed up the front porch, she caught herself smiling. She was now dressed in her strapless blue dress and killer black heels, her outfit that she had changed into for the students' after party. Her perfect blonde curls cascaded down one shoulder, held with a few bobby pins here and there and some hairspray.

She searched around in her purse for her keys, growing frustrated and blaming the liquor she'd consumed for her failed efforts at such a simple task.

"Caroline."

At the familiar voice, she spun around, her curls flying over her shoulder due to the inhuman turn. Her eyed widened slightly, her lips parting as her frustration faded away immediately at the sight of him.

"Klaus."

"Evening, love."

She didn't know what to say to him, so she chose to say nothing. He was wearing his usual outfit of black pants, a white Henley and a matching black leather jacket. His dimpled smile sending shockwaves through her body, and she couldn't help but return the smile.

"Good day, I hope?"

"Uh.. Yeah. Yeah, it was actually. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. I know how important these silly human traditions are you to. As for what I'm doing here, I came to drop by a gift."

He climbed up the steps to stand before her on the porch and her feet seemed to move towards him by themselves, as if gravity were pulling her to him automatically.

She cleared her throat, her eyebrows furrowed together as she shook her head in confusion.

"A gift? You didn't have to, seriously."

"No, please... I insist, Caroline."

The way he said her name never failed to send a shiver down her spine. If she could hear him say it forever, hell, she would.

With a smile, she playfully rolled her eyes and lifted her shoulders expectantly.

"Fine, but if it's stolen jewellery and a lame pick up line, I might not be able to resist the urge to punch you in the face." She teased, looking up at him from under her lashes with an unintentionally flirtatious smile.

"Well, technically, it wouldn't be the first time." He smirked, causing Caroline to let out a laugh as he reached into the back pocket of his black pants

He pulled out a thin box, and she raised her eyebrow.

After a few moments of him just standing there looking at her expectantly, she took the box out of his hands. She opened the box hesitantly, her eyes widening again as she revealed his gift to herself.

"Call it a congratulations.. and a thank you. Perhaps one day we'll meet again, sweetheart."

Before she could look up and respond with her plans of leaving behind her small hometown, there was a gust of wind. Looking up in a panic as she felt the presence before her disappear, she looked up in surprise. For a moment, she couldn't bring herself to move. Despite the fact that she herself was a vampire, he was much older than her and the sudden movement had shocked her. She frantically looked around her, trying to see where he'd gone before she forced her feet to move and ran down the porch steps.

"Klaus! Klaus!" She called at the top of her voice, spinning around in a desperate attempt to catch him.

But, he was gone again and she knew that. He probably wasn't too far gone for him to not be able to hear her calling him, but he didn't come back. If he had heard her, he made no intention of making it obvious. For a few more minutes, she continued to call out to him before realizing how pathetic she must have sounded to him and any other random passerby.

She let out a sigh in defeat, tucking a lose curl behind her ear as she accepted the fact that he had left. Possibly, by the sound of his final words to her, for good this time.

Without a second thought, she rushed back up to the porch and immediately found the keys she'd been looking for. Once she was in the house, she sped to her bedroom and sat down on her bed. She stared down at the box she held in her hands, still trying to take all of it in.

It was a first-class ticket to Paris, all expenses paid.

She let out a humourless laugh, looking up and around her room as she had just the week before when he had left.

He was gone and had left her with nothing but a one way ticket to France and a small note with some details and a simple goodbye.

Standing from the bed, she placed the box on her dresser and moved to grab her phone.

As she listened to _that_ voice mail for the umpteenth time, there was one thing she was certain of.

She wasn't going to Paris, but she was going to New Orleans.

* * *

**I guess you can consider this a prologue of sorts, aha. I have the next chapter written; I just decided to split it which is why this is a little short. So, it should be up soon!**

**Thank you for reading! I hope you all liked it. If you have a moment to drop me a review, I would really appreciate it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thank you so much for all of the feedback, it totally blew me away. I hope you all like this next chapter!**

**I still don't have a beta or a cover, so please let me know if you'd be able to provide either and I'll love you forever.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize.**

* * *

Using all of her vampire strength, Caroline sat on her suitcase and tugged the zipper right around. When it finally reached, she let out a sigh of relief. She had never been a light packer – she had to take half of her closet for an overnight stay at her Dad's, just in case of emergencies. Now that she was leaving town to somewhere she'd never been before, full of people she didn't know and she didn't even know how long she would be staying for? She'd stuff –pressed and folded- just about all of her possessions into two very crammed suitcases. She wasn't taking any risks on anything with her packing. Actually, she had been in quite the panic about it since she'd dragged her dusty suitcase out from her the bed. Of course, she'd been obligated to give it a wipe over - there was no _way in hell_ she was travelling with a filthy suitcase, thank you very much.

But, now, she was ready. Her small suitcase was prepared by her door, whilst the larger suitcase sat on the bed and she silently thanked God that she had the supernatural strength. As she jumped off the top of the suitcase, she took one final look around her room to make sure she wasn't missing anything. Maybe she was thinking too much but, hey, she never denied that she did that a whole lot. She just wanted this trip to be perfect. Most of all, she wanted to know if there was a possibility of a life for her in the Big Easy. A possibility of a life with _him_ one day – but she was trying to not get too far ahead of herself. Failing miserably, but she was trying.

There was one outfit laying across her bed, the one she'd picked out for her journey. The outfit was just a simple red dress and a black leather jacket, with matching heels. Part of her wanted to impress him, but the other part of her knew that she didn't need to dress up to impress him. Actually, she was hoping that he would just be pleased to see her there. Her plan was to just compel herself into the first decent hotel that she came across until she found him and he let her stay with him. Whether than plan would run completely smoothly or not was definitely another thing, but it was the only one she had that didn't include awkwardly calling him and asking him for his address. Besides, that would totally ruin the element of surprise thing she had going on. She didn't want him to know he was going until she was already there, right in front of his eyes. If she spoke to him before then, she would over-analyze everything and probably unpack her bags. No, she was _not_ going to let her own silly insecurities get in the way of this. She knew how he felt for her, how strong his feelings were, and she knew that he wanted here there because he'd told her so. However, that didn't change the fact that she wanted to see how he really felt about her actually being there... In one of his favourite places in the world, just to see him.

Obviously, she wasn't going to tell him why she was there. At this point, there was no way that anything romantic could happen between them. She wasn't ready for that and she actually wondered whether he was ready for it. After all, he had spent over a thousand years as the all evil hybrid. What would he be like in an actual relationship? With a girl he'd known for barely even a couple of months? As far as she was aware, she was the first girl for him in a _very_ long time. That scared her a little bit, really, all of the not knowing. She knew him, she understood him, but there were so many parts of him that he hadn't let her see yet.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she moved to change into her outfit. She applied the last of her make-up she had out, before packing that away and tying her hair up in a loose ponytail. With one last glance around her childhood room, she smiled and wondered how long it would be until she was back standing in this room she was now leaving behind. So much had happened to her in this house, in this town, was she really ready to throw it all away on an off chance of a new life?

It was pretty sad, she realized, that she was.

Not for him, oh no. She wasn't packing up every last reminder of her human life and leaving town for him. She was doing it for herself, because she needed it. She couldn't stay there any longer than she had to; even though she knew that her friends needed her. Wasn't it about time that she got to be the selfish one? Didn't she deserve some freedom by now, some control over her own life?

So, no, she wasn't leaving because she wanted to run off into the sunset with the big bad hybrid. Sure, she was going to him, but he was the only one who had ever offered her the world. He was also the only one that she trusted enough to give it to her.

She was leaving this entire place behind, because she had to embrace her eternity. She was saying goodbye to all of the memories, because she didn't know how many more bad ones she could add to the collection before she eventually snapped. The blonde didn't want to spend years chasing around after other people, making sure everyone was okay when they never gave her a second thought. She wanted to ditch the small town and, okay, she didn't know how long it would be for. Maybe she'd be back in a week crying over how stupid she was, or maybe she'd be happy starting over in New Orleans.

_That_ was a risk she was willing to take.

* * *

As she pulled her suitcases out from her bedroom, she stopped anxiously as she heard a car approaching. Instantly, she knew that it was just her mom getting home from her shift at the station. With everything that had been happening recently, every little thing seemed to put her on edge.

She had yet to inform her mom about her plans to ditch town and head to New Orleans, so it was the moment of truth. She hated the fact that she was leaving her, especially in a town with so much death and destruction. Her mom was just a human; she was so fragile against the supernatural. No gun was going to protect her from a vindictive vampire or scheming witch or impulsive werewolf. She could get her neck snapped before she even knew she wasn't alone, which shook Caroline to her very core. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to her mom. The fact that she wouldn't be around to stop it from happening would only make things worse.

What she was doing was selfish, she knew that. It was out of pure selfishness, leaving her mom behind in a town packed with supernatural activity just so she could escape from it.

She couldn't do it.

Could she?

No, no – she had to. She couldn't stay in Mystic Falls; the town would end up destroying her eventually. It was simply selfish for her to even want to leave it behind, but what choice did she have? The town exhausted her and she could only stay in her usual fix-it mode for so long before she lost her damn mind. At this point, her mom was the most important person in her life but that didn't change the fact that she needed to get herself out of Mystic Falls. It wasn't going to be permanent anyway, just a short getaway to clear her head. She wouldn't leave her mom alone for too long. If she did stay away, she promised herself that she would always check in on her every now and again. Whilst her mom was still around, she wouldn't stray too far away from Mystic Falls.

Even the thought of Liz not being around forever terrified her. Caroline would never die –not naturally anyway- whilst her mom had just a couple decades of human life left.

Leaving the suitcases leaning idly against the wall, she sucked in a deep breath as she heard her mom climbing the porch steps.

The door opened and Liz immediately eyed the suitcases, before her eyes flashed up to meet her daughter's in confusion.

"Hey, Mom." She sighed, offering her a soft smile. More than anything, she was nervous about her mom's reaction to her leaving town. Caroline wasn't even considering telling her the entire story – she didn't really need to know that she was going to find Klaus. For some reason, she didn't think her mom would have the best reaction to her eighteen year old daughter running off to an evil thousand year old hybrid.

"Caroline..."

As Liz hesitantly approached her, Caroline's nerves continued to soar. The pair of them had developed such a great relationship and it was the mother/daughter bond that she had always craved growing up. Their relationship was stronger than it had ever been, and now Caroline was leaving all of that behind.

But, she had convinced herself that it was the right decision. A selfish decision, but it was still the right one. She just hoped that Liz would be able to find it within herself to understand that.

Her mother's support meant the world to her, so she could only hope that she would be okay with her sudden decision to pack her bags and flee the nest.

"So, um, I need to talk to you about something." She lifted her shoulders, nervously nibbling her lower lip in anticipation. "I'm leaving town, mom."

Liz's face fell and it was obvious that she was taken aback by her daughter's confession. She probably hadn't been expecting it, but hey, she was more than sure that more shocking things had happened.

"What?" Liz questioned, shaking her head to show her confusion. After a few seconds of silence, she started to walk towards Caroline. "Well...where are you going?"

"New Orleans." Caroline replied, hesitantly. She let out a breath as she realized that their conversation wasn't going half as bad as she'd been expecting it to be, but there was still more than enough of time for things to take a turn for the worst.

"Why are you going to New Orleans?" Liz asked, her 'brows furrowing together.

"No reason." Caroline lied after a few seconds of stalling her reply, as her lips curled up into a very light smile. She didn't really want to go into details, she just wanted to get the goodbyes over with and get going. Otherwise, leaving would be that much harder for her – even harder than it already was.

Liz eyed her suspiciously, but didn't seem to be questioning her answer out loud, which Caroline was extremely grateful for since it was definitely no secret how bad of a liar she was. Liz nodded, silently walking past her daughter and making her way into the kitchen. With a sigh, Caroline followed, consumed by the guilt and concern. Apparently, they'd reached the part of their conversation where things took

"Mom..." Caroline called quietly, nervously crossing her arms across her chest as she followed Liz into the kitchen.

"Hmm?" Liz mumbled, turning back around to face Caroline with a clearly-forced smile.

Caroline sighed again, dropping her arms as she walked over to her mom and enveloped her in a loving embrace. She felt Liz's arms slowly drift tightly around her back.

It was quiet for a couple of moments again, neither of them needing to say anything to the other. Unsurprisingly, it was Caroline that eventually broke the comfortable silence.

"I know it's out of the blue, Mom." She muttered, her eyes shut as she rested her chin on Liz's shoulder. "But I need this and I need you to be okay with this. If I stay here any longer, I'll go crazy. I want to get out there and, besides, it's not as if it's forever and I'll visit all the time. Really, I will, I promise."

She pulled back to look at Liz, dropping her arms down to grab hold of her mother's hands as the pair fought back tears. Liz nodded, forcing a lovingly supportive smile which Caroline immediately returned.

"Go... Go to New Orleans. Don't worry about me; you need to go out there and grow up on your own."

"Why don't you come with me? To New Orleans?"

"Oh sweetie, this town needs me. I can't just go running off."

"I'm sure New Orleans could use the best Sherriff around. Never know, you might just meet some hot guy to sweep you off your feet."

Both of them chuckled, despite Caroline's words being said in a completely serious tone of voice.

Caroline turned around and headed back out into the hallway towards her luggage, Liz following closely behind. She picked up her handbag from the small counter and flung it over her shoulder, idly pushing a loose stand of blonde hair behind her ear. Grabbing hold of the two suitcases, one in each hand, she inhaled deeply and smiled at her mother. She wheeled the cases down the hall and opened the door, before rolling them shakily down the porch steps towards her car.

After packing them away in the trunk of the car, she slammed it shut. She walked back around to Liz, who was currently standing with her arms crossed and blinking back tears as she watched on in silence.

"I'll come back and visit soon, I promise." Caroline assured, wrapping her arms around her mother just as she had moments ago in the kitchen. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, honey," Liz replied, and Caroline knew that she was smiling even if she couldn't see her. "Now, go, go on. What are you waiting for? Get out of here."

Again the two laughed, Caroline feeling a stray tear roll down her cheek as the two separated for the final time. She quickly swiped it away with the back of her hand, shaking her head.

Apprehensively, she stepped backwards to her car and climbed into the driver's seat. She gave her mom one final wave as she fought through the tears, and pulled out of the driveway.

As she drove away from the only home she'd ever known, she continued to battle against the tears behind her eyes that were still threatening to spill. Her hands were shaking on the driving wheel, but she managed to get herself under control by the time she got to the town sign.

She started to think over the decision she'd made, and could only hope that she was finally making the right one.

* * *

_Welcome to New Orleans!_

When she finally reached that sign the next day, she couldn't have been happier. After around three hours of driving the night before, she'd stopped at a cheap motel in North Carolina. She had left the motel in the early hours of the morning to begin the long drive ahead of her to New Orleans.

Finally, she had arrived.

The plan was to head to the first hotel that she found and have some time to herself. She'd had more than enough time to think whilst driving, but a warm bath and a comfortable bed sounded like the very best option that she had. She needed some rest and some blood, because there was no way she was confronting Klaus on no sleep and an empty stomach. Uh-uh, no way.

To put it simply, she was completely drained.

Luckily, there was a decent-looking bed and breakfast just as she drove into the state. It was pretty late, but Caroline still hoped that there was a room available – and that she could actually afford it. If not, she'd be forced to compel herself a room because she was _that _desperate.

Pulling into the small car lot, she shut down the engine and headed into the reception area. There was a little old lady behind the counter, who looked up with a welcoming smile as Caroline came through the door. She didn't deny that she probably looked a mess after such a long drive, but that was the last thing on her mind.

She approached the front desk with a smile, asking if there happened to be a room available and letting out a sigh of relief when the elderly lady confirmed that there was. It also helped that she could legitimately afford a night or two at the place so no compulsion would be in order whatsoever. Which was always a plus, because she wasn't too fond of using mind control unless in serious emergencies.

So, whilst the woman went to organize the room for her, Caroline went back to her car to collect her luggage. She was paranoid; she was not prepared to leave all of her belongings in the trunk of her car when in a city she wasn't at all familiar with.

A few minutes later and she was, at long, in her room. It wasn't big, but it was enough. It was just a small room with a bed and a wardrobe, with an en-suite.

She wasn't going to unpack all of her luggage considering she didn't know how long she would be staying there for, so she just left her suitcases as they were against the wall. But, she pulled out a tank top and a pair of cotton shorts to sleep in and shoved her clothes into the suitcase.

With a sigh, she switched off the lights and climbed into the –thankfully comfortable- bed.

She was in New Orleans and tomorrow, she would find the man she came looking for.

* * *

**Okay, so no Klaroline or even Klaus in this chapter! But, it's coming, I promise. ;)**

**Thank you so much for reading! If you have a moment to drop a review, I'd really appreciate it.**

**Also, just an annoying little reminder that I would like to get a beta and a cover graphic for this so I'd be very grateful if anyone would be interested! You can follow me on tumblr at forbesalvatore.**


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! Wow, it's been a while. There are a load of reasons why I haven't updated this, but I won't bore you with those. If you want to hear my excuses though, please don't hesitate to shoot me a message. Also, thank you for all your feedback for the last two chapters.

For now though, I hope you can forgive me for how long this took and I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I, as always, own nothing you recognize.

* * *

The brush moved effortlessly against the canvas, bringing the nameless image to life. Most of the time, his paintings turned out to be the same thing.

He'd stopped painting her when he left Mystic Falls, after her graduation ceremony. Such a simple, pointless human event through his eyes yet he attended it without hesitation. He'd watched her from afar, staying in the shadows away from any prying eyes. Later that evening, he'd finally caught her alone. Her reaction to his arrival had been more than he'd hoped, the fact that she hadn't scoffed and slammed the door in her face making the journey more than worth it. He'd given her the ticket and returned to New Orleans, setting up his new home and simply hoping that she'd gone.

Now, his paintings were just memories of old towns long forgotten and the metaphorical darkness that surrounded his life for so long. They were never truly dark though, not any more, no matter how hard he tried. Somewhere, there was always a glimmer of hope, a slight smudge of light right in the middle of his dark tornado.

That was what his painting had turned into this time around. Just black lines, swirls of grey and black and white. It was an amateur's work and he mentally scolded himself at the finished product.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and he immediately made his way downstairs.

Suddenly, he was consumed by her. Her scent, her laugh, her voice, her personality. It happened every now and again, at the passing of a random bubbly blonde in the street, or the mention of her name in a passerby's conversation, or a familiar scent of a similar shampoo or perfume. For a brief second, he paused to take in the familiar scent. It felt as if she was truly there, standing right before him. But, by that point, he'd already convinced himself that it was just the madness of missing her.

He'd never expected to open the door and actually find her staring back at him on the other side.

There, staring right back at him with those beautiful eyes and that shy little smile, was the very object of his affections. She was looking at him as if she hadn't seen him in centuries -despite it being only a few weeks- and he had no doubt that his shocked expression was the same. He felt that perhaps he was dreaming, that his own insanity had caused him to now hallucinate her showing up at his very door.

"Hi."

As soon as the small, barely audible word fell from her lips, he knew she was real. He was confident that it truly was her standing before him, the very beauty that had caused him misery and joy all at the same time. A feeling he still couldn't understand, and didn't quite know if he liked. The way he felt and behaved around her was brand new territory for Klaus. It was as if the young blonde aroused these feelings -these very, very, human feelings- in him that he had buried long before vampires were roaming the Earth.

Immediately, he felt himself tense. What did he say to her? He hadn't seen her since her Graduation ceremony and, despite the fact that they'd parted on good terms, he hadn't expected to see her again. Especially not so soon. Despite it being just a short period of time since their last meeting, there was so much that had changed. So much she didn't know; so much he had failed to tell her about. Quite honestly, he didn't want her to know. He didn't want to have to inform her of his evening with Hayley, or the unexpected consequences of that evening. It was actually the very last thing he ever wanted to bring up with her - or, close anyway.

As he continued to gaze at her in pure amazement and admiration, his mind drifted to Tyler. He'd known where his disloyal hybrid had fled to from the very moment he left, but he had stopped tracking him after his return to New Orleans, out of simple disinterest. After all, what Tyler did and didn't do, wasn't on his list of priorities at this point. He wouldn't go as far as saying he'd happily bump into Tyler in the street and not rip his heart out and shove it back down his throat, oh no, he definitely wasn't claiming that. But he had bigger things to worry about, than some silly little boy who tried to play the knight in shining armor and fight off the big bad wolf.

"Caroline?" He breathed questioningly, a part of him still not believing she was there before him. Any moment now, he'd blink and wake up back in his bed, realizing all of this was just a dream. Just another dream. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, come on," The blonde laughed nervously, with a shrug. "You're cocky enough to believe that I just wanted to see you. Can I come in?"

Without another word, a smile crossed his lips and he stepped to the side, allowing her to walk past him into the large house.

For a few more moments, it was silent between them, as she studied her surroundings and he studied her with the same appreciation.

"Nice place." She eventually said, turning back around to face him with that tug of her lips that made him want her so badly. When he didn't reply, just stood with his eyebrows furrowed, she inhaled deeply before pressing her lips together. "I guess you really want to know why I'm here, huh?"

A quirk of his eyebrow was enough to answer her question, apparently.

"I just needed to get away," She explained with a small shrug. Before he could say anything, she spoke again. "From everything. From Mystic Falls, from all of that drama and the pain... I couldn't be there anymore. I didn't... I didn't know where else to go. And I really did miss you being a pain in the ass twenty-four seven."  
He let out a low chuckle, his eyes falling to the floor for a brief moment before returning back to match her gaze.

"Well, in that case, can I offer you a drink?"

"Duh."

* * *

A few hours later, the two of them were sat on the couch, a situation Klaus had never even began to imagine happening in this century.

Caroline was sitting with both legs crossed under her, her head leaning against the back of the expensive leather couch. At this point, he wasn't sure what she was laughing about, but he did know that he could listen to that sound for the rest of his life.

"Caroline." He interrupted her laughter, with a frown, causing her to look up at him in confusion. "You said you didn't have anywhere to go...You wanted to leave Mystic Falls but didn't know where else to go. I gave you that ticket, you could have easily just used it."

Her face fell slightly, her eyes glancing downwards. He'd been thinking about it ever since he'd gotten over the shock of her being there, and he'd eventually driven himself to the brink of insanity thinking about it. That wasn't a good enough excuse for being there, not for him. She could have easily gone to Paris, she didn't have to be there sitting next to him.

When she looked back up, her lips curled into a small, innocent smile.

"A while back, this guy promised to take me to Paris. I didn't really feel like doing it alone."

He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been so shocked into speechlessness.

"Don't look so surprised," She laughed, rolling her eyes, which interrupted his own mind trying to process what she had said. "You're, like, a billion years old, right? You'd totally make an awesome tour guide."

"Well, can't argue with that, sweetheart." He smirked at her, causing her to playfully roll her eyes once more.

"Aren't you going to offer to give me a tour of New Orleans?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow with a rare smirk of her own.

* * *

They walked through the streets of New Orleans, the city that he'd build from the ground all those years ago. Understandably, she kept her distance, but never truly strayed too far from his side.

Caroline was intrigued, and slightly taken aback. Her surroundings were thrilling and …. disastrous. Part of her wanted to scream at them all and tell them to get their acts in order, but the other part of her - the vampire side - had never felt so alive.

Back in Mystic Falls, it was a constant battle to keep the vampire side hidden. Making sure that nobody found out about their true nature, was just something they had to do. Here, however, in New Orleans? Vampires roamed the streets, with no shame or guilt. Whilst she was completely against feeding from humans, the entire scenario around her was lighting something within her. A dark desire to just let go and live her life.

Or, undead life. Whatever.

She wasn't stupid and she wasn't blind; it was clear that every supernatural around knew exactly who Klaus Mikaelson was. Everyone they passed seemed to turn their heads for a brief second, whisper and then turn away in distress. Klaus was very clearly reveling in the attention, but Caroline didn't know how to react to it. It was obvious that they all wanted to know who she was, whether she was an acquaintance, a victim or an enemy.

Hell, she didn't even know the answer to that one anymore.

Eventually, to her surprise, they reached a quieter part of the quarters. It was dark and quiet, nobody around but the hybrid and the young vampire.

It was now eerily quiet, the only noise coming from the supernatural antics going on, which could only be heard if Caroline really strained her heightened hearing. Of course, hearing it was much easier for Klaus, but it was also easy to tune it out completely in order to focus on Caroline and Caroline only.

A gust of wind passed through and Caroline wrapped her arms around herself mindlessly, despite barely being able to feel the cold. In silence, the two of them sat on a vacant bench on the sidewalk.

"So.." Caroline breathed, looking out into the deserted street. Across the road was a large graveyard, that seemed to go on for miles in the darkened night. "This is your secret little hideout, huh? You know, most people just have treehouses, not graveyards. But I guess it suits you."

He let out a genuine laugh, causing her to smile. She liked that laugh.

"Well, love, I don't know if you noticed but I'm afraid I'm not most people." He smirked, quirking an eyebrow.  
"Oh, I know you're not."

For a few more moments, it was completely quiet and it was starting to play on Caroline's nerves. Things were never quiet between them, neither of them were damn quiet. It was slighlty unsettling, to say the least.

"So, how's taking back the throne going for you?" She asked teasingly, her tone laced with playful mocking. Only from her would he ever accept mocking, plafyul or not, without ripping said person's head off their shoulders. But she wasn't just a person to him. At this point in their 'friendship' or whatever they were now, Klaus severely doubted she could ever be just another person to him again.

"A lot harder than it was two hundred years ago, actually. But, don't you worry, sweetheart. I'll get what's mine sooner rather than later."

"I don't doubt it." She smirked again, teasingly. "So, uh, is it okay if I stay with you at your place for a little while?"

He wanted to tell her yes, of course. Why was she even bothering asking? Waking up and knowing she was in the same building, was more than he could ask for. However, he didn't know how he was going to make that work. Despite his complete lack of interest in Hayley, there was no ignoring that she was carrying his child. He was more than sure that would come up in conversation at some point.

But, despite all of that, he couldn't turn her down.

"You're more than welcome."

* * *

Ugh, I'm a little hesitant about this because it may seem too OOC but oh well. Please feel free to shout at me (nicely) if it's ridiculous, hahaha.

Anyway, I'm definitely going to be updating this regularly from now on and, like I said, it won't be longer than 8-10 chapters if that. Thank you for reading and please leave a review if you have a chance! It would mean the world to me to know what you guys are thinking.

Make sure to follow me on tumblr at forbesalvatore!


End file.
